Same Sex Marriage Celebrates 9 Years in MA

Maureen Brodoff and Ellen Wade joined six other gay couples in suing the state for the right to marry. The Supreme Judicial Court ruled in their favor, saying the state couldn’t deny same sex couples the right to marry because the state constitution forbids the – quote–”creation of second-class citizens.” So on the first day same sex marriage became legal, Wade and Brodoff tied the knot.

Brodoff remembers the ceremony:

“We were invited to get married in the office of the mayor of Newton, Mayor Cohen, and our families were able to come and share that moment with us. There was a rally on the lawn of the city hall for friends, and supporters and people we didn’t even know. So it was a really special exciting day.”

Since then, more than 18,000 same sex marriages have taken place in Massachusetts, and same sex marriage is legal in 12 states plus the District of Columbia. In the past month alone, lawmakers in Rhode Island, Delaware and Minnesota approved same sex unions. And Illinois may soon follow suit. Brodoff says while same sex marriage is gaining momentum in the united states, gay and lesbian couples are still fighting to have their unions recognized by the federal government. Two historic same sex marriage cases –Windsor versus the United States and Hollingsworth versus Perry — are pending in the US Supreme Court.

Support for NEPR.net is provided by:

Participate

Take a tour of the Springfield headquarters of NEPR! Free, public tours take place monthly at 5 p.m. on Thursdays. The guided tour will take you through the NEPR newsroom, studios, music library and technical operations room, and will tell you about our history and mission.